Delhi: NDMC nod for ₹135 crore projects to boost infra

Hindustan Times

13-06-2025

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) on Thursday approved projects worth over ₹135 crore for procurement of 120 Megawatts (MW) renewable energy, water metres, purchase of hydraulic high pressure jetting machine and for the promotion of art and culture in the NDMC area, among other projects, said officials.
The decisions were taken in a meeting chaired by minister Parvesh Verma and attended by MP Bansuri Swaraj and other top NDMC functionaries, the council meeting took these decisions.
A major welfare decision was taken regarding regularisation of Type-I and Type-II municipal quarters allotted in the name of the spouse or ward of former NDMC employees. These provisions apply to cases where the original allottee has retired or passed away, and the spouse or ward is a regular NDMC employee—even if the application was submitted after the permissible time period. The Council approved a one-time policy relaxation, including waiver of pending dues for such applicants.
Chairman Parvesh Verma announced that penalties imposed on occupants residing for more than two years beyond permissible limits will also be waived. Citing one case where a family had a penalty of ₹24 lakh, he confirmed that the full amount has been waived off.
'This is not just about housing regularisation, it is about honouring families who served NDMC for years. It is our responsibility to stand by them,' said Verma.
He further informed that in cases where judicial proceedings are pending in courts, NDMC will move towards withdrawal of those cases.
The council approved procurement of 120 MW of firm, dispatchable renewable energy from NHPC Ltd. at ₹4.62/kWh to address the shortfall in power demand and meet renewable power obligations. It also sanctioned ₹4.56 crore for replacing outdated electronic energy metres with smart metres and ₹30.84 crore for swapping over 15,000 old water metres with AI-enabled smart water metres, marking a full transition to digital utility monitoring in the NDMC zone, said officials aware of the matter.
'This council is committed to transforming New Delhi into a model of responsive governance and sustainable urban development. All our decisions are aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a modern, inclusive and efficient capital — every initiative approved today is a step towards delivering citizen-first governance,' said NDMC vice chairman Kuldeep Singh Chahal.
Acknowledging aging infrastructure, NDMC cleared ₹6.75 crore for replacement of life-served 33kV power cables, and ₹5.20 crore for a hydraulic high-pressure jetting machine to manage drainage before the monsoon. In another major move, ₹70.44 crore was allocated for the desilting of the Sunehri drain near Lodhi Road, a joint project with the DMRC flagged as a top priority by the Lieutenant Governor, according to officials.
To bolster the cultural identity of the capital's core, NDMC approved 1% of its annual budget for the promotion of art and culture, including music and heritage festivals.
The Council also approved ₹4.18 crore for hiring temporary urinals and comfort stations for national events, and ₹6.64 crore for shifting water lines in Sarojini Nagar in coordination with NBCC's redevelopment project. Small amounts have been allocated for other civic projects as well, officials said.
For the welfare of employees, a one-time policy relaxation was approved to regularize quarters for families of deceased or retired staff. Hospital Patient Care Allowances and Conveyance Allowances were approved for doctors and medical staff.
The Council also passed amendments and framed Recruitment Rules (RRs) for over 1,000 posts across categories including stenographers, assistants, carpenters, metre inspectors and medical staff. Notably, 17 posts of deputy directors will now be merged with four joint director roles, expanding top-level administrative strength to 21.